Tōth–the recording project of Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Alex Toth–is sharing a buoyant new music video for “Habit Creature,” which arrives today alongside a breezy remix by Grammy award-winning artist, producer, and frequent Tōth collaborator, Kimbra. Watch the video here and listen to the remix here.
Toth explains how the remix collaboration emerged: “Kimbra and I were driving upstate in my van bumping my record and when Habit Creature came on she started flipping out and said she wanted to remix it. Right in that moment she already heard the beat and vocal style she was going to do. Her and I have talked a lot about healing and self-love over the years so it was nice to have this collab bring our music and spiritual worlds together a little bit!”
“Habit Creature,” Tōth’s first single of 2020, is about waking up out of our destructive and apathetic default modes. The song advises to be present with what isn’t working, and to meet the pain where it is to begin healing. As Toth explains: “When we stop trying to distract ourselves from it, our pain or discomfort can be a great teacher for growth and healing. Sort of the way a vaccine contains some of the virus. Most of the violence and hatred in the world comes from not being ok with–and in touch with–ourselves. And when we don’t feel good we tend to blame and harm others.” Reminiscent of Arthur Russel’s pop-influenced melodies, “Habit Creature” is an elegantly textured up-tempo palpitation, almost like an inner-monologue breakthrough of clarity.